Major League Soccerhttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/major-league-soccer
en-usFri, 09 Dec 2016 23:49:46 -0500Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:49:46 -0500The latest news on Major League Soccer from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-salaries-2014-11Major League Soccer's Biggest Problemhttp://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-salaries-2014-11
Fri, 14 Nov 2014 13:59:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>Major League Soccer continues to do very well among local fans with strong attendance numbers, and has even dished out some big contracts to a few star players. But the overall quality of play still lags behind other leagues and that has a lot to do with how much the league pays its players.</p>
<p>While the league will occasionally hand out a big contract, such as the recently signed <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kaka-highest-paid-players-mls-major-league-soccer-2014-9">$7.2 million per year deal for former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaká</a>, those deals are rare.</p>
<p>Nearly <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/sports/soccer/many-in-mls-playing-largely-for-love-of-the-game-.html?_r=0">one-third of the league's total payroll goes to seven players</a>, and only 15 of the 572 players in the league make $1 million or more while many make under $50,000.</p>
<p>As a result, the average salary in MLS is just $213,000 per year <a href="https://twitter.com/sportingintel/status/533223433237442560">according to SportingIntelligence.com</a>. That ranks just 21st among the world's top football leagues and is a big reason many experts <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/11317003/soccer-how-does-major-league-soccer-stack-world-top-leagues">won't rank MLS among the top ten leagues in the world</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5466251a6bb3f7a2432a9aec-800-600/01-646.png" border="0" alt="Soccer League Salaries"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-salaries-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/us-soccer-teams-sign-more-foreign-talent-2014-11MLS Teams Are Signing More Foreign Players Than Ever — Here's Why It's Great For US Soccerhttp://www.businessinsider.com/us-soccer-teams-sign-more-foreign-talent-2014-11
Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:49:00 -0500Scott Phillips
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5464fbfd6da811d8683f3294-600-/seattle-sounders.jpg" border="0" alt="seattle sounders" width="600"></p><p>Player development and increasing competitiveness on the field continue to be key benchmarks for MLS.</p>
<p>Nothing helps bring financial success to sports leagues like winning teams and high levels of play from top class athletes.</p>
<p>For MLS, the recipe of success has been building a fan base in a unique market and a combination of homegrown and foreign talent.</p>
<p>"Business of Soccer" has profiled the nationalities of players in the league to show how MLS teams build their rosters.</p>
<p>A comparison of players’ nationalities and salaries helps fans understand if teams place value on foreign or domestic talent.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="http://www.businessofsoccer.com/2014/10/23/foreign-or-domestic-the-spending-habits-of-mls-clubs-in-2014/">Foreign or Domestic: The Spending Habits of MLS Clubs in 2014</a></strong></p>
<p>To show just how far the league has grown in quality, a comparison of the nationalities of all players in 1996 to 2014 will show just how the league has evolved in competitiveness and as a business.</p>
<p>Below is a bar graph of the number of domestic and foreign players in 1996 and in 2014.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5464f5cfeab8ea5559bb0842-800-786/biz-of-soccer-01.png" border="0" alt="biz of soccer 01"></p>
<p>Obviously the number of players in the league in 1996 is significantly lower because there were only ten teams that debuted in 1996. MLS has nineteen teams in 2014 with twenty set to play in 2015.</p>
<p>Below is another graph which represents the percentage of foreign-born players in the league and U.S.-born players in 1996 and 2014. It should be noted that there is a disparity in the average number of players on each roster in 1996 and 2014. 1996 had fewer players on the roster with 24.7 compared to 29.4 in 2014.</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5464f5cf69bedd7c558e604a-800-758/biz-of-soccer-02.png" border="0" alt="biz of soccer 02"></p>
<p>This graph is even more telling on the financial and competitive state of the league.</p>
<p>In 1996, there were fewer roster restrictions on clubs, but many teams still erred on the side of caution when creating their rosters. For the most part, clubs took fewer risks on expensive talent from abroad. The North American Soccer League folded in the 1980s because players’ salaries crippled financial viability of the league.</p>
<p>Therefore, the league opened with significantly more American-born players because they were mostly unproven and relatively inexpensive. Regardless of the cost, the league hoped that a few domestic players would emerge and the marketability of the league would be based off of these players.</p>
<p>The competitiveness and quality of the league in its inaugural season pales in comparison to the diversity that the league boasts in 2014. Any league which strives to compete globally should strive to be more heterogeneous rather than homogeneous.</p>
<p>Most leagues around the world have more domestic players than foreign players, however, the number of foreign and domestic players is balanced on some of the best teams in the world and in the best leagues. Drawing from top talent around the world, including domestically, creates the most competitive play on the field.</p>
<p>This also shows the growth of the league over the past nineteen years. In 1996, players from thirty-five countries were represented. That number has almost doubled with sixty countries represented in the 2014 player pool.</p>
<p>The league has taken decidedly more risks since 1996, signing foreign players to larger contracts in order to help raise the level of play in the league. This did not occur overnight. The credibility of MLS has grown incrementally as foreign players in the league are constantly speaking about the professionalism and competitiveness of the league. With more diversity MLS has also increased its marketability to attract more foreign players and begin to step out of the shadows of some of the larger leagues in the world.</p>
<p>A little perspective can go a long way in understanding just how far MLS has come since its inaugural season. The league has grown and expanded both on and off the field since 1996. Despite its short history, MLS has taken the fast track and mimicked the models of other diverse and competitive leagues around the world.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-soccer-teams-sign-more-foreign-talent-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-attendance-2014-10Major League Soccer Continues To Post Strong Numbers Among Local Fanshttp://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-attendance-2014-10
Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:11:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>After a small dip in attendance last year, attendance for Major League Soccer matches reached nearly 6.2 million during the 2014 season with an average attendance of 19,151 for the 19 clubs.</p>
<p>The chart below shows that the 19-year-old league is still showing steady and strong growth among local fans and with ticket sales. Overall, attendance in MLS was up 2.9% from 2013, and average attendance is up 28.5% since 2003, when the league was struggling with fewer than 15,000 per games and had already seen two clubs fold.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for MLS and its players, the league still hasn't resonated beyond the local fan bases as national television ratings remain suboptimal. While MLS continues to prove they do local very well, it is the national, what <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/mls/index.ssf/2014/08/for_mls_expanding_tv_audience.html">Landon Donovan calls "the final frontier"</a> for MLS, where the league needs to improve if they are going to compete with other major leagues both domestically and abroad.</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/544e8548eab8ea9b50911e8f-800-600/01-625.png" alt="Major League Soccer Attendance" border="0"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-attendance-2014-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/kaka-highest-paid-players-mls-major-league-soccer-2014-9The Highest-Paid Player In Major League Soccer Has Never Played A Game In The Leaguehttp://www.businessinsider.com/kaka-highest-paid-players-mls-major-league-soccer-2014-9
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 13:32:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/542ae43a69beddb264d146a0-1200-924/kaka-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Kaka"></p><p>Former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaká is the new highest-paid player in Major League Soccer and will make $7.2 million this season. The kicker: he has never played in MLS and his team isn't even in the league yet.</p>
<p>Kaká is the first major signing for Orlando City S.C., a club currently playing in the USL Pro league, the third level of North American professional soccer. Orlando City has been named as an expansion franchise for Major League Soccer, but will not join the top division until 2015.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Kaká is on loan to São Paulo F.C. in Brazil's top division, the same team he began his professional career with in 2001 before eventually moving on to a decorated career with AC Milan and Real Madrid. São Paulo will pay a portion of the Brazilian's salary while he competes for their side.</p>
<p>In all, 15 players in MLS will make at least $1.0 million this season, up from nine in 2013. Here is the top ten:</p>
<ol>
<li>Kaká, Orlando City — $7.2 million</li>
<li>Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders — $6.7 million</li>
<li>Michael Bradley, Toronto FC — $6.5 million</li>
<li>Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC — $6.2 million</li>
<li>Landon Donovan, L.A. Galaxy — $4.6 million</li>
<li>Thierry Henry, N.Y. Red Bulls — $4.4 million</li>
<li>Robbie Keane, L.A. Galaxy — $4.5 million</li>
<li>Tim Cahill, N.Y. Red Bulls — $3.6 million</li>
<li>Jermaine Jones, New England Revolution — $3.3 million</li>
<li>Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact— $2.6 million</li>
</ol><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kaka-highest-paid-players-mls-major-league-soccer-2014-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-baseball-season-2014-9Major League Baseball's Season Is Not As Long As You May Thinkhttp://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-baseball-season-2014-9
Tue, 23 Sep 2014 15:31:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>When it comes to the length of the seasons for the five major professional sports leagues in North America, Major League Baseball has a reputation of being a marathon compared to the others. However, if we consider the length of the season it is actually shorter than all others except the NFL.</p>
<p>From the first spring training game through the potential game seven of the World Series on October 29, MLB's season this year is 246 days long. That is actually 12 days shorter than the 2013-14 NBA season and a full month (31 days) shorter than the most recent NHL season.</p>
<p>The shortest season belongs to the NFL which takes just under six months to go from the first preseason game through the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Major League Soccer has the longest season this year, thanks in part to the mid-season break for the World Cup.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5421badaecad04b653d491c6-800-600/01-566.png" border="0" alt="Sports Seasons"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-baseball-season-2014-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/david-beckham-expansion-mls-franchise-miami-2014-7David Beckham's Expansion MLS Franchise In Miami Is Suddenly In Danger Of Not Happeninghttp://www.businessinsider.com/david-beckham-expansion-mls-franchise-miami-2014-7
Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:22:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/53d7aac9eab8eab91bc44753-480-/commissioner-don-garber-david-beckham-and-mayor-carlos-gimenez-attends-a-press-conference-to-announce-their-plans-to-launch-a-new-major-league-soccer-franchise.jpg" border="0" alt="Commissioner Don Garber, David Beckham and Mayor Carlos Gimenez attends a press conference to announce their plans to launch a new Major League Soccer franchise" width="480" /></p><p>Dade county and the city of Miami have <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/10/4169888/miami-takes-downtown-museum-park.html">killed two proposals for a soccer stadium to be built in downtown Miami</a> leaving David Beckham's much-celebrated expansion franchise in danger of folding before it ever gets started.</p>
<p>This is the nightmare scenario for Beckham and his MLS franchise.</p>
<p>Technically, Beckham doesn't actually have an expansion franchise until he can secure a downtown location to build a stadium and that is starting to look like it won't happen.</p>
<p>MLS commissioner Don Garber made <a href="http://theshotwithalexilalas.blogspot.com/2014/07/mls-commissioner-don-garber-on-miami.html">this point clear to Alexi Lalas</a>.</p>
<p>"Miami remains a top priority for us. But we are mindful of the challenges we had in the past and must have the right ownership group and stadium location," Garber told Lalas. "We remain focused on a downtown Miami location, and we will not expand to Miami unless we have a downtown site for the stadium."</p>
<p>MLS previously had a team in the Miami area as the Miami Fusion played 30 miles north of downtown Miami, in Fort Lauderdale. That team folded after just four seasons.</p>
<p>When Beckham signed with MLS in 2007 to play for the L.A. Galaxy, he was given an <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/05/sport/david-beckham-miami-mls/">option to purchase a franchise in the future for $25 million</a>. Beckham would presumably still have that option if the Miami deal falls apart.</p>
<p>However, Beckham has stated that he wants more than just a local franchise in the United States.</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53d7c346eab8eaeb75c44757-1200-632/01-439.png" border="0" alt="David Beckham" /></p>
<p>There are few places where Beckham can insert an expansion franchise and hope it becomes an international hit. The league already has two teams in both Los Angeles and New York City and Beckham is not going to want a team in Minneapolis or Sacramento.</p>
<p>Beckham's Miami franchise hopes to begin play in 2017, so there is still time. But Major League Soccer wants 24 clubs in place by 2020. With the addition of teams in New York City, Orlando, and Atlanta, the league will be at 22 teams in 2017 and if the Miami franchise stalls much longer, the league will start looking elsewhere.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/david-beckham-expansion-mls-franchise-miami-2014-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/soccer-popularity-english-football-mls-2014-7Soccer Popularity Is On The Rise In The US, But English Football Is Benefiting More Than MLShttp://www.businessinsider.com/soccer-popularity-english-football-mls-2014-7
Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:27:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53b452e4eab8ea651933181e-1200-600/us-soccer-fans-5.jpg" border="0" alt="U.S. Soccer Fans" /></p><p></p>
<p>There is no doubt that the World Cup has been hugely popular in the United States. But now that the U.S. national team has been eliminated, we're wondering if this was just patriotism boiled over or if the surge in soccer popularity will continue in the United States.</p>
<p>The simple answer is "probably." The more complicated answer is that the popularity of professional soccer will continue to grow but not in a way that fans of Major League Soccer will like.</p>
<p><strong>World Cup popularity is at an all-time high in the U.S.</strong></p>
<p>People are watching the World Cup in record numbers. The U.S. team's final match against Belgium had an overnight rating of 9.6 (16.0 million viewers) on ESPN alone, <a href="http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2014/07/world-cup-overnights-belgiumusa-sets-new-espn-record/">the largest rating ever for a soccer match on ESPN</a>. For comparison, the 5-game NBA Finals averaged a 9.3 rating (15.5 million viewers).</p>
<p>While the ratings attempt to factor in people watching outside their homes, it is easy to say the number of people that actually watched the game, including watch parties and Spanish-language networks, was far greater.</p>
<p>And this extends beyond just U.S. matches. The match between Mexico and Croatia <a href="http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2014/06/world-cup-tv-ratings-espn-univision-set-more-records/">set a record on Univision</a> and the Germany-Ghana match set a record on ESPN for <a href="http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2014/06/world-cup-tv-ratings-espn-univision-set-more-records/">most-watched soccer match not involving the U.S. national team</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/53b451ec6da8112051e3ac7c-1200-600/united-states-soccer-fans-at-sodier-field-in-chicago.jpg" border="0" alt="United States soccer fans at Sodier Field in Chicago" /></p>
<p><strong>Americans like stars and many of the stars of the World Cup play in England</strong></p>
<p>A lot of people are watching the World Cup and getting to know the stars of soccer. But those stars play overseas.</p>
<p>Take a look at who is scoring the goals in the World Cup. Of the 157 goals scored through the round of 16, more than half were scored by players that play in either the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, or Spain's La Liga.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, only four goals have been scored by players from Major League Soccer. Even arguably the most popular American player after their World Cup run, Tim Howard, plays professionally for Everton in the Premier League.</p>
<p>While language is a potential barrier to Americans and the leagues in Germany and Spain, the same is not true of English football.</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53b4430a69beddea21e1852f-800-454/01-410.png" border="0" alt="Soccer Popularity" width="800" /></p>
<p><strong>There are already more people watching English soccer in the United States<br /></strong></p>
<p>Where the stars play would be less of a problem if American fans did not have access to them. However, every Premier League game is now broadcast in the United States.</p>
<p>NBC pays the Premier League more than $80 million annually to air every match of the season. Meanwhile, ESPN, NBC, and Univision pay a combined $30 million annually to air MLS games and many of those are still only available locally or via the league's MLS Live subscription.</p>
<p>Even before the World Cup, there was a surge in television ratings for Premier League games in the United States with ratings nearly doubling from 2012 to 2013 according to <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/u-s-soccer-fandom-the-investigation-continues/">data obtained by fivethirtyeight.com</a>. Meanwhile the average number of viewers for an MLS match has been relatively flat since 2009 and now trails English soccer in this country.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53b445c0ecad046e42d8477c-1200-600/wayne-rooney-20.jpg" border="0" alt="Wayne Rooney" /></p>
<p><strong>We also see this surge in interest in other areas<br /></strong></p>
<p>Interest in the Premier League has grown steadily in the United States since 2007, something we can see when we look at the Google search volume for the term "Premier League."<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p>How that directly compares to the popularity of Major League Soccer in this country is difficult to measure since the term "MLS" is also a popular real estate search term. However, if we look at the search volume for "Major League Soccer" alone, it does show that interest has been relatively unchanged over the last seven years.</p>
<p>It would not be surprising to see the interest tick up after the World Cup. But that will likely be mirrored, if not surpassed, by the uptick seen in the Premier League interest.</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53b44a0decad042e52d8477b-800-426/02-69.png" border="0" alt="Soccer Popularity" width="800" /></p>
<p><strong>MLS will benefit, but mostly at the local level<br /></strong></p>
<p>At the end of the day, the average sports fans should be more interested in the Premier League than Major League Soccer. The Premier League is a better product.</p>
<p>But that doesn't mean there won't be any benefit to soccer on this side of the Atlantic. Any increase in the interest of professional soccer is good for MLS and interest has been on the rise, even before this year's World Cup.</p>
<p>However, that increase is only being seen at the local level.</p>
<p>MLS does very well locally and has some very passionate local fan bases that rival that of teams in the NFL, Major League Baseball, and the NBA. This has translated to attendance that has consistently increased over the last 14 years despite the significant increase in the number of teams, with total attendance topping 6.0 million each of the past two seasons.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/53b44e216da8115b40e3ac7c-800-419/03-25.png" border="0" alt="MLS Attendance" /></p>
<p>American interest in soccer is growing and that is good for the sport's future in the United States. But until Major League Soccer opens up its vault and starts to bring over star players with recognizable names in their prime, the interest of the average sports fan will continue to be diverted overseas.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/soccer-popularity-english-football-mls-2014-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/columbus-crew-game-cancelled-fan-struck-lightning-2014-6MLS Game Cancelled After Fan Was Reportedly Struck By Lightninghttp://www.businessinsider.com/columbus-crew-game-cancelled-fan-struck-lightning-2014-6
Sat, 28 Jun 2014 21:42:35 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>Tonight's MLS match in Columbus between the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas has been cancelled due to severe weather in the area. According to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, at least one fan was taken to the hospital after apparently being struck by lightning.</p>
<p>Jardy detailed what he was told in a series of tweets seen below. The details are scary and include a report that the fan was revived after being declared dead.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/CorkGaines/timelines/483058973608660992" class="twitter-timeline" data-widget-id="483060514172305409">New Collection</a></p>
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// ]]></script><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/columbus-crew-game-cancelled-fan-struck-lightning-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-highest-paid-2014-4How The 10 Highest-Paid Players In Major League Soccer Compare To Other Sportshttp://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-highest-paid-2014-4
Fri, 18 Apr 2014 18:32:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/534c32cfecad04fd2616b730-480-/clint-dempsey-16.jpg" border="0" alt="Clint Dempsey" width="480" /></p><p>Major League Soccer is growing in popularity in North America and attendance figures show the sport does very well at the local level.</p>
<p>However, the league still lacks star power and player salaries are not even close to being on the same level as other major sports on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.</p>
<p>Despite importing aging international stars (e.g. David Beckham and Thierry Henry) and American stars still in their primes (e.g. Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey), the average MLS player makes just $208,000.</p>
<p>There are only 12 players who will make at least $1.0 million in total compensation this year and the total payroll for the entire league ($115.3 million) is less than half that of the Los Angeles Dodgers roster ($235.3 million).</p>
<p>On the next few pages we'll take a look at the 10 highest-paid players in MLS and how their salaries compare to other sports.</p><h3>No. 10 Pedro Morales — $1.4 Million</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/534c304aeab8ea2e72263a7b-400-300/no-10-pedro-morales--14-million.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Club</strong>: Vancouver Whitecaps</p>
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Midfielder</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>10th highest-paid in other sports</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>NFL</strong>: Ndamukong Suh (Lions), $12.6 million</p>
<p><strong>MLB</strong>: Albert Pujols (Angels), $23.0 million</p>
<p><strong>NBA</strong>: Dwyane Wade (Heat), $18.7 million</p>
<p><strong>NHL</strong>: Rick Nash (Rangers), $7.8 million</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>No. 9 Obafemi Martins — $1.8 Million</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/534c3093ecad048d2116b72f-400-300/no-9-obafemi-martins--18-million.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Club</strong>: Seattle Sounders</p>
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Forward</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>9th highest-paid in other sports</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>NFL</strong>: Gerald McCoy (Bucs), $12.7 million</p>
<p><strong>MLB</strong>: Joe Mauer (Twins), $23.0 million</p>
<p><strong>NBA</strong>: Chris Bosh (Heat), $19.1 million</p>
<p><strong>NHL</strong>: Marian Hossa (Blackhawks), $7.9 million</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>No. 8 Marco Di Vaio — $2.6 Million</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/534c30bfecad04e61e16b734-400-300/no-8-marco-di-vaio--26-million.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Club</strong>: Montreal Impact</p>
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Forward</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>8th highest-paid in other sports</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>NFL</strong>: Greg Hardy (Panthers), $13.1 million</p>
<p><strong>MLB</strong>: CC Sabathia (Yankees), $23.0 million</p>
<p><strong>NBA</strong>: LeBron James (Heat), $19.1 million</p>
<p><strong>NHL</strong>: Steven Stamkos (Lightning), $8.0 million</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-highest-paid-2014-4#no-7-tim-cahill--36-million-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-highest-paid-2014-4How The 10 Highest-Paid Players In Major League Soccer Compare To Other Sportshttp://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-highest-paid-2014-4
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 17:22:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/534c32cfecad04fd2616b730-480-/clint-dempsey-16.jpg" border="0" alt="Clint Dempsey" width="480" /></p><p>Major League Soccer is growing in popularity in North America and attendance figures show the sport does very well at the local level.</p>
<p>However, the league still lacks star power and player salaries are not even close to being on the same level as other major sports on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.</p>
<p>Despite importing aging international stars (e.g. David Beckham and Thierry Henry) and American stars still in their primes (e.g. Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey), the average MLS player makes just $208,000.</p>
<p>There are only 12 players who will make at least $1.0 million in total compensation this year and the total payroll for the entire league ($115.3 million) is less than half that of the Los Angeles Dodgers roster ($235.3 million).</p>
<p>On the next few pages we'll take a look at the 10 highest-paid players in MLS and how their salaries compare to other sports.</p><h3>No. 10 Pedro Morales — $1.4 Million</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/534c304aeab8ea2e72263a7b-400-300/no-10-pedro-morales--14-million.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Club</strong>: Vancouver Whitecaps</p>
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Midfielder</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>10th highest-paid in other sports</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>NFL</strong>: Ndamukong Suh (Lions), $12.6 million</p>
<p><strong>MLB</strong>: Albert Pujols (Angels), $23.0 million</p>
<p><strong>NBA</strong>: Dwyane Wade (Heat), $18.7 million</p>
<p><strong>NHL</strong>: Rick Nash (Rangers), $7.8 million</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>No. 9 Obafemi Martins — $1.8 Million</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/534c3093ecad048d2116b72f-400-300/no-9-obafemi-martins--18-million.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Club</strong>: Seattle Sounders</p>
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Forward</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>9th highest-paid in other sports</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>NFL</strong>: Gerald McCoy (Bucs), $12.7 million</p>
<p><strong>MLB</strong>: Joe Mauer (Twins), $23.0 million</p>
<p><strong>NBA</strong>: Chris Bosh (Heat), $19.1 million</p>
<p><strong>NHL</strong>: Marian Hossa (Blackhawks), $7.9 million</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>No. 8 Marco Di Vaio — $2.6 Million</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/534c30bfecad04e61e16b734-400-300/no-8-marco-di-vaio--26-million.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><strong>Club</strong>: Montreal Impact</p>
<p><strong>Position</strong>: Forward</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>8th highest-paid in other sports</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>NFL</strong>: Greg Hardy (Panthers), $13.1 million</p>
<p><strong>MLB</strong>: CC Sabathia (Yankees), $23.0 million</p>
<p><strong>NBA</strong>: LeBron James (Heat), $19.1 million</p>
<p><strong>NHL</strong>: Steven Stamkos (Lightning), $8.0 million</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-soccer-highest-paid-2014-4#no-7-tim-cahill--36-million-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-mls-expansion-continues-as-overall-attendance-skyrockets-2013-11CHART: MLS Expansion Continues As Overall Attendance Skyrocketshttp://www.businessinsider.com/chart-mls-expansion-continues-as-overall-attendance-skyrockets-2013-11
Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:38:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>Major League Soccer has announced that Orlando has been awarded an expansion franchise set to begin play in 2015. Orlando City SC will join New York City FC as the 20th and 21st MLS franchises more than doubling the size of the league in the past decade.</p>
<p>It is no coincidence that the rapid expansion of the league follows the explosion in attendance in recent years. While some of the growth in overall attendance is a result of the expansion as well as the longer schedule (teams went from 30 games to 34 games in 2011), we can see below that the growth of attendance has outpaced the size of the league in recent years.</p>
<p>The number of teams is expected to jump to 22 with the addition of another club in Miami that David Beckham will own. Not bad for a league that contracted to ten clubs just 11 years ago...</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/528d16da69bedd931698523b-800-/01-85.png" border="0" alt="MLS Expansion and Total Attendance" width="800" /></p>
<p>Data via Major League Soccer and ESPN.com.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-mls-expansion-continues-as-overall-attendance-skyrockets-2013-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-images-of-proposed-manhattan-soccer-stadium-are-amazing-but-will-it-ever-happen-2013-8Leaked Images Of Proposed Manhattan Soccer Stadium Are Amazing, But Will It Ever Happen?http://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-images-of-proposed-manhattan-soccer-stadium-are-amazing-but-will-it-ever-happen-2013-8
Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:47:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/520104b0ecad04f81f000000-480-/manhattan-soccer-stadium-proposal.jpg" border="0" alt="Manhattan Soccer Stadium Proposal" width="480" /></p><p>New York City F.C. is still looking for a stadium to call home when they begin play in 2015 and renderings have <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/1jicmd/leaked_renderings_of_the_proposed_mls_stadium_on/">leaked on Reddit</a> that show one proposal for the west side of Manhattan (<a href="http://www.sportsgrid.com/soccer/new-york-city-fc-leaked-stadium-renderings-show-maybe-the-coolest-venue-one-earth/"><em>via SportsGrid.com</em></a>).</p>
<p>Negotiations to build a stadium in Queens for the MLS expansion <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/major-league-soccer-won-coming-queens-pol-article-1.1394221">franchise recently fell apart</a>. Now the team that is owned by the New York Yankees and Manchester City F.C. is exploring new sites "all over the city."</p>
<p>That has some hoping that Pier 40 on the west side of Manhattan is once again a possibility. MLS originally considered the Pier 40 site before focusing on Queens, and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2013/08/02/renderings_what_mls_stadium_at_pier.php#photo-1">MLS has confirmed that the leaked renderings are real</a>.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It will probably never happen. But it is fun to imagine what professional soccer in Manhattan might look like.</span></p><h3>The proposal shows a partially covered stadium</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5200fd34eab8ea585c00000e-400-300/the-proposal-shows-a-partially-covered-stadium.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>And here is the stunning view of what the stadium would look like from the inside looking south towards the World Trade Center</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5200fd35ecad040d0c00001e-400-300/and-here-is-the-stunning-view-of-what-the-stadium-would-look-like-from-the-inside-looking-south-towards-the-world-trade-center.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The site would still have what appears to be youth soccer fields, but that means the pier would need to be enlarged by a considerable amount</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5200fd3569beddf308000011-400-300/the-site-would-still-have-what-appears-to-be-youth-soccer-fields-but-that-means-the-pier-would-need-to-be-enlarged-by-a-considerable-amount.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-images-of-proposed-manhattan-soccer-stadium-are-amazing-but-will-it-ever-happen-2013-8#here-is-where-pier-40-is-located-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/american-star-clint-dempsey-to-sign-with-seattle-sounders-in-record-deal-2013-8American Star Clint Dempsey To Sign With Seattle Sounders In Record Dealhttp://www.businessinsider.com/american-star-clint-dempsey-to-sign-with-seattle-sounders-in-record-deal-2013-8
Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:14:27 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51fd1d9c69beddbd3a00000f-480-/clint-dempsey-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Clint Dempsey" width="480" /></p><p>In a surprising move, Clint Dempsey will sign with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer in one of the biggest transfers in league history <a href="http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1512434/clint-dempsey-join-seattle-sounders-tottenham-sources-say?cc=5901">according to Doug McIntyre of <em>ESPN.com</em></a>.</p>
<p>The Sounders will pay Tottenham an MLS-record $9 million transfer fee for the forward, according to the report. Dempsey's will sign a 4-year, $32 million contract, will also be the largest in MLS history.</p>
<p>Dempsey is expected to attend the Sounders game on Saturday night and be formerly introduced on Monday.</p>
<p>Dempsey played just one season with the Spurs after six seasons with Fulham. He scored seven goals in Premier League games and five goals in non-league matches. His best season in the Premier League came during the 2011-12 season when he scored 23 goals for Fulham, including 17 in the Premier League.</p>
<p>The Texas native has also scored 35 goals for the U.S. Men's National Team, the second-most in team history.</p>
<p>This will be Dempsey's second stint in MLS, having previously played for the New England Revolution from 2004 through 2006.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/american-star-clint-dempsey-to-sign-with-seattle-sounders-in-record-deal-2013-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/david-beckhams-next-move-may-be-as-an-owner-2013-5David Beckham's Next Role May Be Owner Of An MLS Team In New Yorkhttp://www.businessinsider.com/david-beckhams-next-move-may-be-as-an-owner-2013-5
Thu, 16 May 2013 14:35:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/519523176bb3f7a044000009-400-/david-beckham-1.png" border="0" alt="David Beckham" width="400" /></p><p>David Beckham announced his retirement today, and his next move could be returning to the United States and becoming an owner of a franchise in MLS.</p>
<p>The timing of Beckham's announcement certainly raises some eyebrows. Just three weeks ago, <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/Manchester-City-takes-lead-to-buy-New-York-MLS-expansion-team-but-theres-no-deal-yet.html">MLS commissioner Don Garber announced</a> that the league would hopefully announce plans for an expansion team within the New York City limits "in 4-6 weeks."</p>
<p>The owners of Manchester City, the defending English Premier League champs, are the leading candidates to be owners of the new MLS club which would likely play in Queens.</p>
<p>Beckham as the face of a New York franchise would seem like a natural fit.</p>
<p>Beckham played for the Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS from 2007 through 2012. And while the rise in popularity can't be attributed to Beckham completely, average attendance in the league rose 21.3% during his tenure and he added a sense of growing legitimacy the league lacked previously.</p>
<p>There was a report that <a href="http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1239600/david-beckham-interested-in-new-york-cosmos-role---report?cc=5901">Beckham was interested in joining the ownership group of the revived New York Cosmos franchise</a>. However, that team will not be joining MLS and it is hard to believe Beckham would be interested in owning a second-division team.</p>
<p>If Beckham doesn't join the group in New York, there will be other opportunities. The league has confirmed that cities like Orlando, Atlanta, and Miami <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/4/25/4265412/new-york-city-mls-expansion">could receive expansion franchises in the future</a>.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/david-beckhams-next-move-may-be-as-an-owner-2013-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/video-thierry-henry-scored-on-a-sick-bicycle-kick-2013-5Thierry Henry Scored On A Sick Bicycle Kickhttp://www.businessinsider.com/video-thierry-henry-scored-on-a-sick-bicycle-kick-2013-5
Wed, 08 May 2013 21:50:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>Thierry Henry found the fountain of youth tonight for the New York Red Bulls, scoring two goals. But it was the second goal that has the MLS world buzzing.</p>
<p>With the Red Bulls protecting a 1-0 lead late over the Montreal Impact, Henry scored on a bicycle kick after a deflected corner. Here's the video (<em>via MLS</em>)...<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p><object id="cf8e86doi" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="620" height="349" name="cf8e86don"><param name="movie" value="http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1720666/mls_2013-05-08-213406.640hq.mp4" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1720666/mls_2013-05-08-213406.640hq.mp4" id="cf8e86dei" name="cf8e86den" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="349" width="620" /></object></p>
<p><br /><br /><br /> And here is a great view of the goal from the stands (thanks, Tommy Tai)... <iframe width="618" height="348" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JGlEkZO5-b0"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-thierry-henry-scored-on-a-sick-bicycle-kick-2013-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/video-djimi-traore-goal-2013-3MLS Defender Scored A Beautiful Goal From 30 Yards Outhttp://www.businessinsider.com/video-djimi-traore-goal-2013-3
Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:35:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>The Seattle Sounders advanced to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League with a 3-2 win over Mexican club Tigres de la UANL.</p>
<p>Seattle's comeback was helped by this screaming goal from 30 yards out off the foot of Djimi Traore. Defenders don't often get a chance to show off their goal-scoring skills in open play, but Traore made the most of his opportunity...<br /><br /></p>
<p><iframe width="618" height="348" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ObZVcMYxWXQ"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-djimi-traore-goal-2013-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/video-red-bul-loss-to-san-jose-2013-3MLS Player Makes Two Bone-Headed Plays In A Row To Lose A Game For The Red Bullshttp://www.businessinsider.com/video-red-bul-loss-to-san-jose-2013-3
Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:33:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>If you missed the end of the New York Red Bulls loss to the San Jose Earthquakes last night, you're not alone. But while <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-deandre-jordan-dunked-on-brandon-knight-2013-3">everybody was gushing over DeAndre Jordan</a>, the Red Bulls blew a late lead in epic fashion.</p>
<p>It started with a defensive breakdown with less than ten minutes remaining that allowed San Jose to tie the game and things really got crazy when a handball on a corner kick gave San Jose a chance to take the lead in added time.</p>
<p>New York appeared to dodge a bullet when the keeper saved the penalty kick. But San Jose was awarded a do-over when the Red Bulls (clearly) encroached in the penalty area on the first attempt. San Jose made good on the second attempt and the final stunned look on Thierry Henry's face summed up the pain of this loss...<br /><br /></p>
<script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/MDlhYjRhYmQyMjA2NWM2Yzg4YTJkYzcz" type="text/javascript"></script>
<div id="ooyalaplayer" style="width: 618px; height: 350px;">&nbsp;</div>
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<noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-red-bul-loss-to-san-jose-2013-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/magnificent-side-volley-named-the-mls-goal-of-the-year-2012-11Magnificent Side-Volley Named The MLS Goal Of The Yearhttp://www.businessinsider.com/magnificent-side-volley-named-the-mls-goal-of-the-year-2012-11
Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:59:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>Patrick Ianni of the Seattle Sounders has won <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/11/29/seattles-ianni-wins-att-goal-year-stunning-volley">Major League Soccer's award for Goal of the Year</a> with incredible flying side-volley seen in the video below. It is probably not as jaw-dropping as last year's Goal of the Year by Darlington Nagbe (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-even-soccer-haters-will-appreciate-mls-goal-of-year-2011-11">see video here</a>), but it is still pretty amazing...</p>
<p><iframe width="618" height="348" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0MadfAygEfU"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/magnificent-side-volley-named-the-mls-goal-of-the-year-2012-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mls-announcers-have-incredible-mustaches-2012-11MLS Announcers Have Incredible Mustacheshttp://www.businessinsider.com/mls-announcers-have-incredible-mustaches-2012-11
Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:48:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>Former U.S. Men's National Team members Alexi Lalas and Kasey Keller are now serving as soccer commentators for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/espn" class="hidden_link">ESPN</a>. And in what was either a move to support <a href="http://us.movember.com/">the Movember movement</a> or a lost bet, both men appeared on set last night with fabulous mustaches.</p>
<p>Lalas looked like detective from a bad 1970s cop show...</p>
<center><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/509bbd7f6bb3f7b57a00001f-1099-618/alexi-lalas.jpg?maxX=559&amp;maxY=314" border="0" alt="Alexi Lalas" width="559" height="314" /></center>
<p>Meanwhile, Keller, who has long been follicly challenged, upped his street cred with the Fu Manchu...</p>
<center><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/509bbd9f69beddef6c000032-1099-618/kasey-keller.jpg" border="0" alt="Kasey Keller" width="559" height="314" /></center>
<h2><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/greatest-mustaches-in-sports-history-2012-11">And check out the 15 greatest mustaches in sports history HERE &gt;</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mls-announcers-have-incredible-mustaches-2012-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mls-tried-to-play-a-playoff-game-in-a-blizzard-2012-11MLS Tried To Play A Playoff Game In A Blizzardhttp://www.businessinsider.com/mls-tried-to-play-a-playoff-game-in-a-blizzard-2012-11
Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:26:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>Major League Soccer tried to play the second leg of Eastern Conference Semifinals between the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United last night. Unfortunately Mother Nature did not cooperate at Red Bull Park in Harrison, N.J.</p>
<p>A heavy snowfall blanketed the field and for a while, there was a feeling that the game would still be played as players warmed-up on the field. Eventually however, saner heads prevailed and the game was postponed until tonight.</p>
<p>Thierry Henry and his teammates tried warming up even as the snow continued to fall...</p>
<center><img src="https://www.businessinsider.com/image/509bb64069bedd9061000017-974-547/thierry-henry-new-york-red-bulls.jpg?maxX=560&amp;maxY=314" border="0" alt="Thierry Henry, New york Red Bulls" width="560" height="314" /></center>
<p>&nbsp;A big problem was that all the grounds crew had to clear the field was about a dozen shovels...</p>
<center><img src="https://www.businessinsider.com/image/509bb6666bb3f7ad6900001c-974-547/mls-soccer-snow.jpg" border="0" alt="MLS Soccer Snow" width="560" height="314" /></center>
<p>&nbsp;They actually thought they could play soccer in this?</p>
<center><img src="https://www.businessinsider.com/image/509bb68c6bb3f7956900003c-974-547/mls-soccer-snow.jpg" border="0" alt="MLS Soccer Snow" width="560" height="314" /></center><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mls-tried-to-play-a-playoff-game-in-a-blizzard-2012-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>